Definition of Hotel Star Ratings

Ratings standards for hotels vary widely.

Though many travelers rely heavily on star ratings when booking hotels, there is no international standard system, nor even clearly defined parameters. What constitutes a four-star hotel in one area may differ sharply from what is considered a four-star hotel in another area. European hotels generally rank from one to four stars, meaning that a four-star hotel in London, Ohio, can differ greatly from a four-star hotel in London, England.

Lack of Unification

Some sites may rely on an amalgamation of several ratings systems, including their own. This means the site is even less likely to award properties ratings similar to that of other sites. Hotwire, for instance, culls its ratings from several major guides in addition to customer feedback and the experience of its own reviewers. Therefore, how Hotwire ranks a hotel may differ from the hotel's own rating.

Expedia Ratings

Expedia has its own rating systems and outlines expectations for each full- and half-star ratings, from one star through five. These are strictly intended to connote expectations, however, and do not serve as firm definitions; Expedia does not use these to promise what features you can expect in a hotel of that rating. In other words, if you expect a private bathroom, don't rely on the star rating. Examine the description to be sure the property offers that to all guests.

Mobil Ratings

Mobil's ratings guide is generally considered very reliable, although it rate hotels only in North America and has rankings available for only about 8,000 of the 50,000 estimated total hotels, meaning 84 percent are unranked. Its system is based entirely on surprise firsthand inspection, so it isn't as unpredictable as customer ratings (submitted by an untrained client base). In addition, Mobil isn't trying to rent hotel rooms, which means it's less likely to be biased.

AAA's Diamond Ratings

AAA ranks hotels for its 50 million members. It uses a diamond symbol to avoid confusion with other ratings systems. AAA rates hotels in North America and the Caribbean and has rated approximately 32,000 properties. Properties must apply to be evaluated and aren't approved for evaluation until 27 requirements are met, based on AAA members' expectations for minimum hotel standards.

Systems in Other Countries

Some countries have hotel ratings systems set up by the government, with official standards that must be met for a hotel to declare a certain rating. Germany has the DEHOGA system, which involves uniform nationwide criteria. The Swedish classification system ranks 130 criteria that apply to the rooms as well as the hotel public areas. Spain has 17 official ratings systems, as determined by region. The only commonality is that they all rank from one to five stars.

Warning

Even if you book all lodging exclusively with a single entity, be aware of how the ratings are determined. Use ratings only as a framework to help guide you away from those properties that probably won't match your quality requirements. When narrowing down the remaining contenders, look for the features you'd like at the price you'd like, and let the list of amenities--not the ratings--be your guide.

References

• Expedia: Star Ratings
• AAA: Diamond Rating System
• AlphaRooms.com: Hotel Star Ratings in Spain Explained